


A Worthy Celebration

by prideofprewett



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Marriage, Married Sex, Parenthood, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:34:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27217270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prideofprewett/pseuds/prideofprewett
Summary: With all the uncertainty in their world, Molly and Arthur still find things to celebrate.(Also an excuse for me to write domestic smut, so there’s that.)
Relationships: Arthur Weasley/Molly Weasley
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	A Worthy Celebration

All things considered, 1979 was shaping up to be a rather nice year for The Weasleys. Well, as nice as a year riddled with deep political divisions and countrywide hysteria could be. Molly and Arthur had been married nine years, an important one in their world. Molly turned thirty, although she really didn’t feel all that different from twenty-nine or any other year. Still, Arthur insisted they celebrate on both scores because these things “only happened once in a lifetime.” She couldn’t argue with this logic, which is why she decided it was important to reciprocate.

With the touchy political climate, work at the Ministry became more scarce these days. Each department and office had to fight to prove its worth. The Muggle Relations Department officially disbanded with other departments absorbing fragments of it, so as not to incite additional public outcry. They had already seen the Pureblood Riots of 1969 in response to a Pro-Squib bill, which led to the diminished popular opinion of Eugenia Jenkins; at least, among those who held power in the office. So naturally, Harold Minchum was treading carefully in regards to any topic that might incite the ire of those who helped carry him into office; with little regard to the less empowered folk his decisions directly impacted. 

All of these dramatic changes meant Arthur had lost nearly a dozen colleagues and had bounced around various offices ever since Minchum took office in 1975. Now he was convinced the dust of constant upheaval had settled, and he would find a proper place in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office. Stationed within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, this office felt as though it might withstand any drastic bureaucratic restructuring. And thirty days into his new post as the office lead, he passed through the usual probationary period that he never quite made it through with the other reassignments. His former failure to acheieve this milestone was through no fault of his own, but rather, due to the other offices falling short during the Ministry’s rigorous evaluation process.

But he passed this dreaded evaluation, and both him and the office were deemed essential cogs in the great spinning mechanism that was The Ministry. Granted, what should be an office of at least eight or ten (according to Arthur), was only an office of four. But after seeing some of his former colleagues applying for public assistance with their ashen, shame filled faces, he kept his complaints to himself. And Molly likewise reminded herself not to complain when he was forced to work numerous overtimes a week. At least he had the opportunity for overtime. At least they had money coming in. At least the children were healthy and well cared for. At least they were all safe. 

This gratitude was what prompted Molly to chat up her mother-in-law over a couple of brandywines two nights ago when Arthur didn’t get in until well after two in the morning. All she needed to say with a lofty sigh was, “Arthur’s working so many hours these days…”

Before Cedrella was finishing with, “...why don’t Septimus and I take the boys for a weekend?” 

There was _some_ added benefit to Molly being married to her favorite son. 

From then on she swore Cedrella, who loved a heartfelt surprise, to secrecy and began planning. In between wiping Fred and George’s porridge off the floor and kitchen walls, she thought of places to contact about reservations for a nice supper out. Somewhere nice and new outside of their usual few spots, way back when they had time to _have_ "usual spots.” As she fished Percy’s Acromantula rune out from the toilet (how he lodged it in there to the point where a summoning charm couldn’t pry it free was beyond her), she toyed with the notion of escaping away with him for the entire weekend. However, as she broke up a few scuffles between Charlie and Bill, she thought it might be safest to remain at The Burrow. Best to be accessible in the event that Bill punched Charlie in the face again (they really needed to talk about his temper) or Charlie made Percy cry (Arthur was certain Charlie meant nothing hurtful by it, but she couldn’t help but worry), or the twins broke half a dozen priceless family artefacts that belonged to the Weasleys for several generations (Godric save them, now that they were both walking). 

But she felt a nice dinner out on Friday with a quiet Saturday evening at home with just him could still be nice. Maybe they could even go out on their Saturday together and see the new shops popping up in Diagon Alley. She would have to insist upon Arthur taking the weekend off. Marlon or Jane could easily pick up the slack they’d been shoving off onto him. It was a reasonable request given both had no real responsibilities outside of shutting down the pubs every Friday night. 

So when Friday morning rolled around, Molly straightened his bowtie like always (maybe he purposefully put them on at that wonky angle to force her to fix them, but she wasn’t complaining). She patted him on the shoulder and delivered her usual quick peck to his lips before her hand tightened at the collar of his emerald robes, “Don’t let them bully you into working this weekend.”

He rolled his eyes at this and merely smiled like she had said something mildly amusing. 

Tugging on the front of his robes, she lowered her tone to a near growl, “I mean it Arthur. You absolutely _cannot_ work this weekend.” She arched her brow, hoping to convey the seriousness of this matter to him, in spite of the fact that the twins were wrapped around both of his legs wailing, “Dada, no go!”

“Alright, alright,” He held his hands up in surrender, glancing down swiftly and then smiling back at her. 

At least she knew then he wasn’t finding amusement in what she was saying so much as he was with the stunt the twins were currently pulling. She then bent down to pry Fred from his right leg before easily scooping up George from his left, after Arthur loosened the boy’s hold on him. She balanced one on each hip while Arthur then left double kisses at six different cheeks before leaning forward once more to find Molly’s mouth.

“Love you, darling.”

“You too. Be home by half seven! No excuses!”

“Yes dear,” He inclined his head with a humorous flourish of both hands before disappearing through the kitchen door to the Apparation Point.

A dissonant chorus of “Bye Daddy! Have a good day!” rang out as Bill, Charlie, and Percy raced to the Dutch door, trying to see over the window ledge to wave goodbye. Bill was the only one tall enough to see over the ledge through the window without jumping (like Charlie) or trying to climb onto someone’s back (like Percy). And that was usually how most of her days began. Everything else between now and bedtime was often left to chance.

Up until around two in the afternoon, that Friday had been rather uneventful. But sometime around two, Molly took a slight tumble down the stairs due to Charlie leaving his wooden toy ducks on an uneven step. The younger boys thought this snag in their usual, daily routine was hilarious, especially when it sent the dirty laundry flying. And had she just not bit through her bottom lip, and banged her tailbone several times in quick succession, Molly might have found it humorous as well. But as she shakily brought herself to her feet, tasting blood, that infamous glare fixed itself at Charlie, and the full length of his name burst from her like an erupting volcano, “Charles Marvin Weasley you clean up your toys this instant!”

His bottom lip trembled and he ran up the stairs, choking on high pitched whimpers that he tried to swallow in front of the rest of his brothers. She felt a pang in her stomach, but she'd set it right with him later. Molly touched her mouth a few times and deduced the bleeding wasn’t that bad. Her backside took most of the impact and there would be some light bruising on her tailbone, she didn’t have to worry about any broken limbs or worse, a broken neck.

“Mum you’re bleeding!” Bill rushed over to her, his face lined with concern. Her heart stopped momentarily. He looked more like Arthur in this instance than ever before.

Managing a weak smile, Molly pulled him in for a sideways hug. “I’m fine dear. Nothing a little skin sealant won’t…” Her eyes landed on the rollaway desk tucked into the corner of the room. Her stomach dropped as she didn’t see the large green jar that was always situated on the top shelf.

She swore she just made a new batch of the stuff. With five rambunctious boys, she used the homemade skin sealant almost daily. It fixed almost everything topical, and saved a tremendous amount when compared to some of the store bought varieties. Molly released Bill and started searching for the jar, but was soon sidetracked by the twins who had knocked over something in the kitchen.

Aside from that momentary stumble in the day's events, the rest of the day went according to plan. The sudden appearance of Pop Pop and Gram, who arrived with a promise of a weekend away from Mum and Dad (and by extension their usual rules) was met with such excitement that Molly almost felt a little sad. 

She caught Septimus’ eye as the boys bounded upstairs with their Gram to watch her magically pack their bags. “If they become too much to handle…” She began with an apologetic smile. 

Taking her hands in his he squeezed them reassuringly, “Don’t you worry, Mum. You’ll be the first one we call.”

She smiled and he winked at her before letting go. “I can’t thank you enough. Arthur will be so grateful too once he knows what I’ve forced you into.”

“It’s been too quiet since Bilius left,” Septimus admitted, not meeting her eye but rather staring up the staircase where the boy's laughter and jeers reverberated off the walls. The melancholic droop of his mouth twitched up as he heard the boys upstairs. “It does us good to have something to keep us busy.”

“Oh well, the boys will see to that,” Molly assured with a teasing edge to her voice. 

Under Cedrella’s direction, they all surprisingly left in a somewhat orderly fashion. After a parade of hugs and kisses and promises of being good, they all disappeared in two distinct flashes of green light. Molly found herself enveloped in a silence that felt deafening. Even with the guarantee of Arthur returning home in less than an hour and a weekend reserved just for them, it felt strange to be without her boys.

Hugging her arms to her middle, she turned away from the Floo and disappeared upstairs to change into something more suitable for the evening’s events.

* * *

There was something soothing about applying even the most basic ornamentations to her appearance in the quiet confines of her bedroom. She gracefully applied strokes of black liner that highlighted her upper lids and dabbed on a pop of plum lippy. She even half pulled back the shorter wisps of her hair that often clung to her sweaty forehead and temples, using a relaxant spell to create loose curls of red that spilled down her back. 

And then there were the simple gold star earrings that dangled from her earlobes that matched the delicate chain with five smaller stars hanging on it. They hung in whatever constellation cluster appeared brightest on any given night. Tonight, it appeared to be taking the form of Cassiopeia, which made her smile. Her fingertips stroked the bottom points of the shape that clung against the top of her cleavage, which was accented rather tastefully in the long sleeved dusty rose dress she tossed on. The v-line ruffled collar hung open just enough to show off that she was a shapely attractive woman in her thirties, but not _too_ much that she needed to be branded with a scarlet letter. 

She adjusted the front of the dress a couple more times from her seat in front of the vanity table, ensuring that she wasn’t showing off _too_ much. She didn’t want to appear _too_ done up. Even with basic hair frills, makeup, and a few jewelry addons, she felt like she might be bordering on looking ridiculous. 

And this dress...well...it had been quite some time since she last donned it. Come to think of it, she couldn’t recall the last time she wore it. It must have been years, considering the slight alteration spells she had to perform to get it up past her hips. But then again, were her hips ever _that_ slender? Perhaps it belonged to Silvy or one of her other friends, and got mixed up in all the moving and exchanging of outfits they’d done in their early post-Hogwarts days. Wherever it came from, she was intent on making it her own.

A quick rush of footsteps bounding up the stairs from below made her whirl around in her chair, wand at the ready. She edged closer to the shut bedroom door, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. Maybe it was Arthur, but then why was Arthur running upstairs like a madman? But she was being ridiculous. They had protective spells and enchantments that only they knew how to unlock.

“Ar-Arthur?” She croaked out a bit uncertainly, feeling her hand grow sweaty around the wand. 

The door burst open with a rush of air, and Molly found herself staring at the end of her husband’s wand, pointed just below her nose. 

His eyes were wide and nostrils flaring as he intoned between jagged breaths, “The boys...where…”

“Your Mum’s,” She answered swiftly, lowering her wand. Pinching her brow together she stepped forward, shoving his wand out of her face, “Why...what’s happened?”

As he sought to catch his breath, he explained, “The house was so quiet I thought...and you were so insistent... I be home by half seven and…”

“...and it’s fifteen til eight,” She finished, her mouth twisting as she glanced at the watch on her wrist. 

“Merlin’s beard, Molly,” He let out an astonished breath, taking her hands in his. He had finally noticed her put together appearance. His light eyes wandered over her slowly, and she felt her face grow warmer. 

Biting the inside of her cheek, she watched for his reaction, which didn’t appear to be all that unpleasant. Her mind often conjured up worst case scenarios, even with things in her life that felt particularly solid; like him and her. 

She explained with a flashy smile that she hoped was enticing, “I thought we might go out tonight.”

He angled his face forward, murmuring with intrigue before asking, “What’s the occasion?” 

“Well…” She drew out the word, placing her hands against his chest before tapping her fingers there, “... _you_. Your new position. Thirty days in it. Passing that _damn_ evaluation you’ve been stressing over for weeks and weeks.” She was practically gushing with pride as she explained her reasoning for looking like she did. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she added in a sultry murmur, “Well done you.”

Arthur let out a breath he didn’t appear to know he’d been holding in. His brow lifted in utter surprise. Shaking his head he murmured, “I don’t know what to say.”

Molly’s thumbs brushed across the back of his neck as she went on urgently, “Say you’re pleased.” 

“Of course I’m pleased,” He beamed down at her, lowering his mouth to capture her lips in a soft kiss. 

“Mmm…” He bristled slightly whenever they both felt the bump on her bottom lip. Pulling away and touching it gingerly, he wondered, “What happened here?” 

“Oh _that_ ,” She rolled her eyes, offering an easy smile, “Nothing really.”

“ _‘Nothing’_ doesn’t cut your lip,” He frowned, “What happened?”

“Oh, you know…” She lifted her shoulders, explaining dryly, “...just the boys being themselves.”

He tilted his face to one side, waiting for further explanation.

“Alright,” She huffed, “I just took a bit of a tumble down the stairs and bit my lip.”

“ _Took a tumble down the…_ ” His eyes widened in the same way that Bill’s had, and his hands squeezed her shoulders as he glanced over her body in that frantic, parental fashion often associated with spills, cut lips, and scraped knees. “Molly, are you alright?”

“Oh, it wasn’t as bad as it sounds,” Her hands waved him off before her arms crossed in front of her. She went on lightly, “I just fell onto my bottom. More embarrassing than anything else, actually.” 

Arthur bit his lip, trying and failing to suppress a snort at this. 

Seeing that boyish restraint on his face made her chuckle good naturedly, “Go on laugh at me. The boys did.”

“Ohhh…” He chortled, taking hold of her waist long enough to pull her back into a loose embrace. “I _am_ sorry. I don’t mean to laugh. How _is_ your bottom?” Arthur inclined his head, brushing some of her hair behind her shoulder before squeezing it. His eyes sparkled with a wry hint of something that made her snicker.

“It’s fine, thank you.”

“Is it?” He glanced down her back, his right hand beginning to wander down the back of her hip towards it.

She twisted to follow his gaze before insisting, a giggle playing through her words, “Yes, I am _fairly_ certain.” Unwinding his arms from around her, she insisted teasingly, “Just as I am fairly certain that we have a reservation at eight. And I didn’t do _all of this_ for my health, thank you very much.” She gestured to herself with a sweeping flourish of both hands. Passing by him, she instructed on her way out of the bedroom, “So get changed, Mr. Weasley.”

* * *

They chatted amicably over their overpriced dinner, trying their hardest to talk about something other than their boys, but failing spectacularly. It was needed. 

He would talk to Bill about his anger. They’d find another outlet for all the pent up energy he was exhibiting, perhaps a broom. They would have a chat with Percy about not taking everything Charlie said to him literally, separately but together. “Maybe teaching him about hyperbole will help,” Arthur suggested rather perceptively, causing her to smile back at him softly. It was such a simple idea really, and there wasn't any indication that it might even work. But the fact that he had given it serious thought because she asked him to, made her love him in a way she hadn’t felt as readily these days. 

Clearing her throat, she went on about how she believed she sorted out Charlie leaving his toys on the steps with her earlier tumble. Seeing Mummy hurt had done something to him that she never realized it might. And the twins, well there wasn’t much to sort out with a couple of mobile babies except to watch them as diligently as possible.

She missed these chats with him. These conversations made her feel centered and at ease once more. Like she wasn’t alone in all of this. And sometimes she felt dreadfully alone. Even though he came home every night and shared her bed, she worried about them. Worried they were losing themselves among the children. Worried moments like these where they sat in a fancy restaurant smiling sweetly from across a candlelit table would fade along with memories of who they once were. But as he took her hand, his thumb stroked the back of it, and his eyes darted down to her necklace (that was what she convinced herself so she wouldn’t turn as red as the wine) and back up to find her steady gaze, chasing any of these worries away.

“Well Mrs. Weasley,” He began in that low voice full of quiet determination, “What do you say? Shall we go home?” 

Tilting her head to one side she nodded with a crooked sort of smile. He held her hand through the whole process of paying the bill, and this brought back memories of long ago when their sweaty palms pressed together and they refused to let go. They didn’t care who watched them or whether or not their hands grew too warm. They knew they belonged together even then, and it didn’t matter what anyone else thought. After all, how many people could say they felt that way at seventeen?

He let go only to help her with her traveling cloak and then do the same with his own. Then they were at it again, hands fused together en route to the restaurant Floo, refusing to adhere to the policy of one person per trip so that they had an excuse to squeeze tightly together. Nevermind it was also cheaper. Molly enjoyed being pressed into her husband’s side as they disappeared in a flash. 

Upon returning to The Burrow, Arthur took their cloaks to the rack in the kitchen. Molly kicked her shoes off and meandered towards the stairs. She was grateful for the bottle of wine they shared at dinner. It loosened her up and made the fluttering in her stomach bearable. The wine was a perfect scapegoat, really. If there was an awkward fumble here or a blunder there in the darkness, they could always blame the wine. Place it on something else other than their lack of time and energy these days.

They were generally quite good at this. But the problem with so many children and so little time alone was that they could easily fall out of practice. Not with the essential mechanics of it. No, that part of it was relatively straightforward. But the leading up to it. The time and attention required to build up the romance they often joked about losing years ago. Most days she was satisfied with the notion that love was a practical choice. They had children. He was a good, loving husband and father. He provided as well as he could for all of them. She cared for all of them and their home. They were an efficient team, who also happened to make each other laugh. They were happy and they loved one another. 

They loved one another. When it came down to it, that was what mattered most. And they could show their love to each other so easily in all the other ways that truly mattered. It was this _one way_ in particular that began to escape them more and more in recent months. And after an evening like this, she pined for those days gone by. When they simply couldn’t get enough of one another. When they snuck into the mudroom while Bill and Charlie colored quietly in the sitting room. Or in the upstairs loo during naptime, frantically searching for that familiar high as they tore away each other’s clothes. It was amazing really, how much time it took for Percy to be born. But he came along whenever he was meant to, as did the twins. And with these additional ones, things were different. Not loveless or without care, but different. 

Molly stopped on the second step, her fingers catching against the rough grains of the bannister wood; they should sand it again before someone got a splinter. 

A floorboard creaked nearby. She turned until both arms were stretched across the bannister behind her. Arthur reappeared, strolling lazily towards her with a budding smile. 

She flashed a similar look, hoping it didn’t convey the lingering nervousness she felt deep inside of her. Letting out a sigh, her eyes flickered up the stairs and back. “So…” She chewed on the inside of her cheek, her mind whirring as she tried to come up with something mildly witty (and maybe even a little naughty) to say. 

If Arthur was expecting something more from her, he didn’t let on. Instead he stood at the bottom of the steps, his height matching hers. He reached for the wispy, flowing fabric of her dress, using it as a means to pull her near. 

Her mouth twisted out of amusement, the corners of her eyes crinkling. He hummed with matched levity and that steady look of appraisal made her heart quicken. Arthur’s arms wrapped around her lower back, light eyes twinkling suggestively. Her hands rested atop his shoulders, and she watched his gaze slowly move over the curves of her body before finding hers once more. 

“Yeah,” He answered throatily. The corners of his lips jerked upward, the earlier mirth in his expression shifting to something a bit needier. 

Molly’s heart swelled in an instant, propelling her mouth forward until it touched his in a firm kiss. They both grunted at the contact. Her nails dug into the back of his tender neck. His hands grabbed her bottom, moving her hips into his middle. 

Their lips opened and closed with an unbridled passion that long laid dormant. The taste of smoky red wine and decadent dark chocolate lingered against his lips. His tongue felt warm and wonderful against hers. Their teeth clicked a few times and their arms strained as they tried to close the remaining space between their bodies.

When their mouths broke apart, it was Arthur who nuzzled the side of her face, his mouth dropping down the length of her neck, following the v-shaped neckline of her dress. It was Molly who tossed her head back, granting him more access to her exposed skin. 

She rasped again as his soft lips kissed the top swell of her breasts with an urgency. One hand threaded up through his hair, the other gripping his shoulder as her upper body arched in response. She pulsed with anticipation, and felt warm everywhere his lips touched and tongue slid over. Soon it was not enough to just feel his mouth at the edges of her skin, she wanted more. She wanted to feel his entire being against hers. She wanted all the skin to skin contact that was physically possible between two people.

Molly pressed urgent kisses across the top of his head, her hips jutting forward as if to wordlessly tell him precisely what she wanted. But Arthur seemed content with shifting aside the fabric of her dress to reveal one side of her nude colored brassiere. He moved this second layer away from her breast, his tongue skating across it until discovering the half hardened point of her nipple. She felt another raspy sigh escape her as he wrapped his lips around it, sucking more of her into his mouth. 

Sparks set the hair on her body on edge with this rediscovered bit of contact. Molly’s eyes fluttered shut, the tendons behind her knees growing weaker with each kiss and swipe of his tongue against her chest. The heat between her legs pooled with excitement that was becoming more difficult to contain. 

She felt weightless, like she might float away into nothingness. And she managed to croak out breathlessly, “Arthur…” Her fingers dug into the base of his skull, and he released her with a noisy grunting sound.

His eyelids were heavy with need, and he joined their lips fervently. She tugged on the edges of his hair, and he moaned in between open mouthed kisses before his tongue swiped over her swollen, bottom lip. She tasted blood as the scab had broken open once more, but she didn’t care. That was nothing. Truly nothing, in the grander scheme of what was happening now.

His hands gripped her behind and she immediately wrapped one leg around his waist, pressing her hips forward suggestively. Arthur took this opportunity to sweep her other leg out from under her, taking her up into his arms. 

His mouth released hers in order to safely carry them upstairs to their bedroom. Molly kissed the side of his face, sucked on his earlobe, and continued dropping wet kisses across the expanse of his pale neck the entire way there. She felt his muscles tense beneath her weight, his breathing coming in and out at racing intervals. To feel him strong and hard against her made her heart speed up. She shifted the collar of his dress shirt, nipping the soft skin above his collarbone. He rasped and tightened his hands around her bottom, prompting her to teem with desire. 

They made it over the threshold of their bedroom where he set her down until her feet touched the soft rug beside their bed. She flung off his bowtie, it had become crumpled and crooked anyway. Her fingers fumbled at the buttons of his shirt before he took over. She stepped back to untie the ribbon at the waist of her long flowing dress and slid her arms out of the sleeves before hiking the skirt up over her body. 

“Oh Lords,” Arthur breathed out reverently as he took in the sight of her in nothing but her undergarments.

Her face felt like it was on fire as did the top part of her chest. Smiling meekly she took a few steps forward, helping him shrug out of his shirt. Then she got to work on his belt and the front of his black trousers. 

Arthur leaned forward, his hands on either side of her neck while he placed thoughtful kisses across her jaw, one at the place below her left ear, and down her neck again. His fingers slipped the thick straps of her bra off her shoulders, and his mouth planted kisses where the fabric had once been. His hands moved to cup them, still concealed by flimsy lace while he traced lines with his tongue across her bony collarbone. He found both nipples and pinched them, which elicited a breathy moan from her. 

She angled her head back as she shoved his trousers over his backside. He stood up to full height, shimmying slightly until they pooled at his feet. A soft peal of laughter escaped her throat, he grinned at this before winking. 

But this little interlude did nothing to cool the heat that rose up between them. Arthur backed her up towards their bed, one hand at her hip, the other threaded in her hair. She paced backwards on tiptoe, her mouth opening and closing against his before the edge of the mattress caught her behind the knees. With a hand behind her head, he lowered her onto the bed with a languid kiss. Propping herself up on her elbows, Molly scrambled backwards until her head rested against the pillows. 

He crawled forward, kissing her deeply. She stole his glasses (they kept catching and going crooked anyway), thoughtfully folding them and setting them on the table beside their bed. As she did this, his mouth continued in the downward trajectory he so often took when he wanted to take his time with her.

She reached behind herself, unclasping her bra, allowing Arthur to pull it straight off and toss it somewhere. He busied himself with taking great care with her breasts again, but she wasn't complaining.

Molly moaned, her arms tightening around his upper body. He made a similar sound of pleasure that made her hips shift beneath him. She wanted to keep him there, but her body had other ideas. Apparently Arthur did as well.

Kissing across the soft mounds and valleys of her chest, his lips inched lower. With this, her eyes closed and she stopped watching him press his mouth to the soft parts of her middle. His fingers caressed the puckered skin just above the waistline of her silk knickers. He loved these bits of her that she avoided looking at. It wasn’t that she hated this part of her body or thought it wasn’t attractive. She just found it hard to look and not wonder about what once was. About what he once could touch and kiss and thoroughly enjoy as men do, and about what he was left with now.

But Arthur didn’t leave her much time to ponder the past as he licked the tendons of her inner thighs. She knew she was ready, the heedy scent of her rising up between them the minute he pulled down her underwear. He stroked between her legs with the crook of his forefinger before opening her up, his mouth finding her.

She whined as he kissed her softly there. His tongue worked patterns along pathways that she had forgotten. But clearly he hadn’t. Thank god one of them had a half decent memory, she decided as her legs hooked around his shoulders. Her hands clutched the comforter beneath herself, hips rolling against his face, thighs growing wet as he worked to throw her off.

And the pressure in her lower body slowly built with each stroke of his tongue, press of his lips, or pull she felt on the bud of her sex. But it wasn’t the feel of him down there that she enjoyed the most, but rather, the sounds he made as he worked. When he moaned against her heat or pursed his lips and hummed, she felt as though she could explode right then and there. 

But at present, no such sounds were occurring. And Molly was chasing an end that was in sight but out of reach. Restless beneath his mouth she lifted her head. She met his darkened eyes and reached for his arms while pleading softly, “Come here.”

He acquiesced, realigning their bodies until their mouths found one anothers in a string of soft kisses. She tasted herself on him; this lurid detail encouraged her to unwind further. Her arms came around him, urging his body onto hers. She wanted to feel his warm skin. He made her feel like she was on fire when they were together, and she wanted to burn hot and fast. 

His chest crashed against her soft, swollen breasts and she slipped her tongue over his before sucking on his bottom lip. Their arms were wrapped fully around one another now and she felt more desire escaping from her. 

“I love you,” She whispered into his mouth. It slipped out fast before she could take it back. She didn’t want to say it. Not when she wanted him to take her without hesitation.

“I...love you...too…” It came out breathlessly in between kisses he peppered along the underside of her jaw, his hips shoving against hers, his arousal evident.

Her hand snaked down between them. Molly reached inside and cupped him there. His eyelids fluttered and he moaned softly. 

“Oh…” She echoed, using her other hand to remove this last piece of clothing separating them. Her legs parted eagerly, and she took his backside in both hands guiding him inside of her. 

Another agreeable sound emitted from him, and Arthur’s eyes squeezed shut like they always did before he pressed his mouth to hers in a reassuring kiss. Her nails dug into his soft, round flesh stirring another sound of delight from him as he started thrusting slowly into her. 

He took his time, relishing in the tight sensation her body provided him. She loved him for it. Loved he was always so considerate in matters like this. Until she couldn’t stand it because she wanted him not to be such a perfect gentleman all the time. Like presently.

Following another hurried kiss, their eyes met and she stared up at him darkly. Hands scraping his upper back, the heels of her feet digging into his bottom, she lifted her hips to force him in deeper. 

“Harder,” She urged in a whisper.

He squirmed a bit at this intonation. She soon realized that this singular word held a certain power over him in the moment. He obediently quickened his pace, pulling his hips further back and shoving more roughly into her. 

“Yes…” She breathed out, her breasts bouncing from the newly added impact.

She loved watching him work above her. She loved that she could see his heart racing as he struggled to catch his breath. She loved all the noises he made both of his own volition and due to an automatic primal response. She loved the way he looked at her until he couldn’t for fear of losing control too soon. She loved watching him take her like this: hard and swift. 

His head bent forward, a sign that he was close. Her insides burned delightfully as he continued rutting into her. Her heart started to ache from how fast it was beating. She felt the start of her insides clenching, the minor coiling of a spring that would soon catch and release into a delicious sea of fire that would course through her lower body. After a few more deliberate thrusts she felt everything tighten and then go rigid as she cried out her finish.

Molly lifted her head, nipping at the corner where his neck met his shoulder. She sucked on his earlobe, hissing for him to finish for her. She wanted to see it, to feel it. Arthur panted harder now as he continued to chase his own end. She lay back, touching herself in ways that drove him mad to watch. After a few more moments, he grunted his end, his face falling to her shoulder while he remained inside of her. 

As they slowly regained control of all sense, she left a kiss at the front of his freckled shoulder. He slipped out of her, and rolled over beside her. 

Still breathing hard, he began in a way that suggested he likely wouldn’t finish his thought, “So…”

She bent her legs until her feet were flat on the mattress. Glancing over at him, she grinned in between labored breaths, “Yeah.”

Arthur turned to look at her with a tired smile. He patted her thigh and added smartly, “Well done, Mollywobbles.”

This prompted her to snort and roll her eyes. “ _You_ did most of the work.”

“Hmhm...” He mused, his hand remaining against her thigh as he started rubbing it in that unconscious way that suggested he needed something to do. 

After a moment, she saw the glee evaporate from his face and it was replaced with a seriousness that prompted her to roll over onto her side.

Folding an arm beneath her head she asked, “What?”

He rolled towards her until they were mirror images, his hand reaching out to cup her cheek. His pale blue eyes shining with a quality that made her heart ache again; although this time for reasons more sentimental than carnal. He muttered softly, “Thank you.”

Her brow pinched together and she shook her head. The words slipped out before she could stop them. “For what? Dinner and a shag?”

“Molly!” He balked, but light laughter edged around her name.

She giggled at his reaction to her unexpected boldness. She wasn’t sure why she said it. Maybe she was tired. But their laughter lingered in the air for several moments afterwards. 

Once they got ahold of themselves he tipped his head forward until their noses touched. “I’m serious.” He whispered, slowly kissing her in between each statement. “Thank you for tonight. It was...needed.”

Angling her face back she teased, “Well...we can’t have you be the only one showing off and planning for the big events.”

He laughed at this and she continued beaming at him. 

Arthur wrapped an arm around her waist, the other slipping beneath her pillow. She snuggled into his body, her head tucked beneath his chin. He wondered with a slight yawn, “How long do I have you all to myself?”

“Hopefully until Sunday,” She pressed a chaste kiss at the hollow of his throat. She then turned her face skyward, threading her legs between his. “I told your parents to join us for dinner then.”

“Hmmm…” He replied, stroking the back of her shoulder before asking, “What about _yours_?”

She let out a heavy sigh, “Oh you know Dad. He won’t leave the house these days. And Mum won’t go anywhere without him.”

Molly felt him nod and press a chaste kiss at her temple. His next words buzzed against her head, “Well...we’ll just have to go there one day soon.”

“Hmmm…” She remarked sleepily, turning her face in unison with his. Their mouths met for the briefest of seconds before she settled back down in his arms.

Steadily as they lay intertwined, Molly’s eyes grew heavy with sleep, and she felt herself slowly drift off. 

_"Bilius moved out again.”_ She wasn’t certain if she said it out loud or thought it.

Arthur responded by kissing her hair, his head leaning into hers. 

It was another thing they could discuss at a later time. Right now, she would fall asleep with her husband wrapped around her.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah so...THAT happened. :D I have no regrets (except the ending is just like whatever LOL). Also don’t ask me about Bilius because I don’t know. It’s a throwaway line. Hopefully you don’t regret reading this if you made it to the end. Also, sorry if the timeline is wonky or I’m doing too much telling and not enough showing. One-shots are not really my thing. And in trying to make this more than just PWP, I tried to include snippets of other things happening in order to give this something of a plot. Anyway, thoughts would be much appreciated if you can spare the time.
> 
> <3 Courtney


End file.
